Stripped-back meals are the order of the day here at TDB HQ. It’s the best time of year to have that kind of constraint, with produce tasting good enough on its own that all it takes is a decent pairing and a sprinkle of salt.

That’s not to say that we’ll be without treats. You may have already noticed a new name around here – Sophie‘s recipes will be popping up regularly, and there are some beautiful bakes in the pipeline. I hope you all like chocolate!

Why so little time? Well, next month I’m leaving London. After nearly five years of sweaty tube rides, balanced out with access to gorgeous food and never being more than five minutes away from a coffee shop, I’m getting a train outta here. And then getting another train via London a couple of weeks later, but that’s not the point. Read More

It’s spring, all of sudden, isn’t it? I know this because at the weekend I had to urge to pull up all the sofa cushions and hoover them, a level of domesticity that I’ve exhibited before in my life a grand total of zero times. I had to wait to do it until my hands had thawed out from a chilly wander around a nearby rec, but it happened and I was rewarded with £1.50 in change found down the back of the sofa and crumb-free cushions. Earlier in the day I also realised that the honk of the Canada goose is a lot like my laugh, but that was a slightly less welcome discovery than the coins.

Alongside the gradual change of seasons comes the short wild garlic window. With a softer taste than bulb garlic, it lends itself to a wide range of dishes including as an addition to salad – if you can find it. Thanks to its preference for damp, shady woodlands, in London, wild garlic locations are closely guarded secrets. For those of you lucky enough to have better access to it, here’s some tips for foraging wild garlic, and a whole bunch of recipes… Read More

This courgette cake was a long time coming. The cake stand in my kitchen had gathered dust. Perched atop the cabinets, it’s stood unloved since the Marvellous Night Circus cake, a state of affairs that 2012 me would never have predicted.

She also wouldn’t have predicted me being caught out with a cache of enormous courgettes that need eating.

Those ones went into courgette and Comté gratin (recipe tbc), but they got me thinking about courgette cake. When I said those words, people recoiled slightly, much like they did with avocado cake, but I’ve proven ’em wrong once and I’ll prove ’em wrong again.

This cake is perfect for this time of year, when strawberry season comes to an end, courgette gluts leave home gardeners desperately pressing the vegetable into the arms of visitors, and the clouds open to remind us that yes, we’ve had a delightful three days of summer but we are still in England, giving you just enough time to put the oven on and consider branching out into wearing sleeves again.

I’ve hit peak seasonal eating. All of my colleagues and friends have been bored to tears with it, me gesticulating wildly as I talk with way too much enthusiasm about brassicas and their buddies, but last week I did a very exciting grocery shop and have a lot of new flavours and ideas to play with. I’ve just finished up using every last scrap of a bunch of beetroot: burgers with the root; pesto with the leaves; and extra bulk for this week’s lunches provided by blitzed stems. It’s good to get back in the kitchen after a busy few weeks.

Those late crops we’ve had, delayed thanks to our bizarre climate, have hit the shops now, and this month we’re casting the spotlight on raspberries and broad beans. Time to check out some cracking recipes.Read More

About

Hello there! I'm Hannah - welcome to The Dinner Bell. This here slice of the internet is dedicated to seasonal eating, particularly in the UK, with info on what to get when and a plethora of recipes to go with it. It's about food for normal people and ingredients you can get easily.

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